He arrived in San Antonio from a military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany, where he'd been recuperating since his release May 31 in exchange for five Taliban figures held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The 28-year-old Bergdahl, the longest-held U.S. soldier since the Vietnam War, was taken to the San Antonio Military Medical Center.

"The Army will continue to ensure that Sgt. Bergdahl receives the care, time and space he needs to complete his recovery and reintegration," Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby said.

Officials at an afternoon press conference described Bergdahl's condition as stable.

"We're pleased with his physical state. He was able to walk into the hospital in a functional manner. We're going to be planning more comprehensive testing," said Col. Ronald Wool, admitting physician at Brooke Army Medical Center.

Wool said Bergdahl, who has not had the opportunity to practice and speak English for the past five years, spoke in English.

Maj. Gen. Joseph DiSalvo told reporters he'd seen Bergdahl for approximately 60 seconds. They exchanged salutes and the soldier "looked good ... had good deportment," DiSalvo said.

This next phase of his recovery will likely not be as intense as what he underwent at the U.S. military hospital in Germany, Chris Heben, a former Navy SEAL commenting on the case, told CNN.

"Emotionally, it's probably almost surreal for him," Heben said. "He's back in the U.S., and he's no longer under that intense microscope where he was at Landstuhl from a medical standpoint of psychiatric evaluation"

Bergdahl's full physical recovery may take months; his public rehabilitation will likely take longer.

The swap that freed Bergdahl has stirred up a political storm in Washington. And almost-daily revelations about Bergdahl's time in Afghanistan have not helped matters.

"Everybody has a piece of the story, and very few people have the whole story," a Defense Department psychologist told reporters.

The backlash has gotten so bad that a public celebration in his hometown of Hailey, Idaho -- one that the 8,000 residents there had waited five years for -- has been scrapped for fear of protests.

Bergdahl has not yet spoken to his family and his parents were not present for his arrival.

"It isn't over for us," Bergdahl's father, Bob, told reporters last week. "In many ways, it's just beginning for Jani and I, and our family. There's a long process here."

Bergdahl went missing on June 30, 2009, in Afghanistan's Paktika province, where he was deployed with the 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division.

Several veterans and soldiers call him a deserter who walked off his base.

An Army fact-finding investigation conducted in the months after his disappearance concluded he left his outpost deliberately and of his own free will, according to an official who was briefed on the report.

The Army has no definitive finding that Bergdahl deserted because that would require knowing his intent -- something officials couldn't learn without talking to the soldier, a U.S. military official told CNN.

The reasons

On Thursday, The Daily Beast published two letters the solider reportedly wrote to his family while imprisoned by the Taliban.

In the letters -- dated 2012 and 2013 -- Bergdahl discusses his life and partially explains why he disappeared.

"Leadership was lacking, if not non-existent," he wrote.. The conditions were bad and looked to be getting worse for the men that where actuly (sic) the ones risking thier (sic) lives from attack," he wrote.

"If this letter makes it to the U.S.A., tell those involved in the investigation that there are more sides to the cittuwation (sic)," Bergdahl said. "Please tell D.C. to wait for all evadince (sic) to come in."

Heben, the former Navy SEAL, said the letters could hold clues about what happened to Bergdahl.

"I think he's planting a seed of justification for why he went AWOL and why he abandoned his post," he said.

Sen. John McCain, in an interview on CNN's "New Day," said his advice is to discount anything that Bergdahl wrote while in captivity.

"In that situation, it's clear his captors had the ability to force him to write whatever they wanted him to," McCain said.

The captivity

Bergdahl was captured by insurgents with links to the Haqqani network in Pakistan, an Afghan Taliban commander not authorized to speak to the media told CNN.

Alan Gross, at right with Rabbi Arthur Schneier, has been in Cuban custody since December 2009, when he was jailed while working as a subcontractor. Cuban authorities say Gross tried to set up illegal Internet connections on the island. Gross says he was just trying to help connect the Jewish community to the Internet. Former President Jimmy Carter and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson have both traveled to Cuba on Gross' behalf. On December 17, Gross was released from Cuban prison.

Luke Somers, a photojournalist being held captive by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), was shown begging for his life in a video released by the terror group. Somers was killed by AQAP militants during a raid conducted by U.S. forces on Friday, December 5. A U.S. official said that during the raid, one of the terrorists ran inside the compound and shot Somers and South African hostage, Pierre Korkie.

Kenneth Bae is one of two American detainees released from North Korea in November. Bae had been held since late 2012, and in April 2013 was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for unspecified "hostile acts" against the North Korean government. North Korea claimed Bae was part of a Christian plot to overthrow the regime.

Matthew Todd Miller also was allowed to leave North Korea with Kenneth Bae in November. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, he was convicted in September of committing "acts hostile" to North Korea and sentenced to six years of hard labor. He had traveled to North Korea after arranging a private tour through the U.S.-based company Uri Tours, which takes tourists into North Korea. He and Bae were released after U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper went to Pyongyang as an envoy of President Barack Obama, a senior State Department official told CNN.

Stacey Addison was detained on drug charges by police in East Timor in September during a taxi ride. Addison says she was sharing a taxi from near the Indonesian border to Dili, the capital of East Timor, when another passenger asked to stop and pick up a package at a DHL office. The package allegedly contained methamphetamine.

Washington Post Tehran Bureau Chief Jason Rezaian remains behind bars after being detained in Iran with his wife, Iranian journalist Yeganeh Salehi, in July under unclear circumstances. Salehi was released on bail in late October, according to The Post.

Jeffrey Edward Fowle was released from North Korea and returned home Wednesday, October 22, 2014. Fowle was accused of leaving a Bible in a restaurant. North Korea announced Fowle's detention in June, saying he had violated the law by acting "contrary to the purpose of tourism." Fowle told CNN: "I've admitted my guilt to the government and signed a statement to that effect and requested forgiveness from the people and the government of the DPRK."

American journalist Peter Theo Curtis was handed over to U.N. peacekeepers on August 24 after nearly two years in captivity. He is believed to have been captured in October 2012 and held by the al-Nusra Front, a Syrian rebel group with ties to al Qaeda.

An Iranian court threw out a 2011 death sentence for Amir Hekmati, a former U.S. Marine charged with spying. But he was secretly retried in Iran and convicted of "practical collaboration with the U.S. government," his sister told CNN on April 11. He has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, she said. Hekmati was detained in August 2011 during a visit to see his grandmother. His family and the Obama administration deny accusations he was spying for the CIA.

This undated image provided by the U.S. Army shows Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who had been held by insurgents in Afghanistan since 2009. The White House announced Bergdahl's release on May 31. Bergdahl was released in exchange for five senior Taliban members held by the U.S. military.

Retired FBI agent Robert Levinson has been missing since 2007. His family says he was working as a private investigator in Iran when he disappeared, and multiple reports suggest Levinson may have been working for the CIA. His family told CNN in January that they have long known that Levinson worked for the CIA, and they said it's time for the government to lay out the facts about Levinson's case. U.S. officials have consistently denied publicly that Levinson was working for the government, but they have repeatedly insisted that finding him and bringing him home is a "top" priority.

Warren Weinstein, a contractor held by al Qaeda militants, is a U.S. citizen who has been held hostage in Pakistan since August 2011.

U.S. tourist and Korean War veteran Merrill Newman arrives at the Beijing airport on December 7 after being released by North Korea. Newman was detained in October 2013 by North Korean authorities just minutes before he was to depart the country after visiting through an organized tour. His son Jeff Newman said the Palo Alto, California, man had all the proper paperwork and set up his trip through a North Korean-approved travel agency.

Mexican authorities arrested Yanira Maldonado, a U.S. citizen, right, in May 2013, for alleged drug possession. She and her husband, Gary, were traveling from Mexico back to the United States when their bus was stopped and searched. She was released a few days later and is now back in the United States.

Saeed Abedini, a 33-year-old U.S. citizen of Iranian birth, was sentenced to eight years in prison in January 2013. He was accused of attempting to undermine the Iranian government and endangering national security by establishing home churches.

North Korea has arrested Americans before, only to release them after a visit by a prominent dignitary. Journalists Laura Ling, center, and Euna Lee, to her right, spent 140 days in captivity after being charged with illegal entry to conduct a smear campaign. They were freed in 2009 after a trip by former President Bill Clinton.

Former President Jimmy Carter negotiated the release of Aijalon Gomes, who was detained in 2010 after crossing into North Korea illegally from China. Analysts say high-level visits give Pyongyang a propaganda boost and a way to save face when it releases a prisoner.

Eddie Yong Su Jun was released by North Korea a month after he was detained in April 2011. His alleged crime was not provided to the media. The American delegation that secured his freedom included Robert King, the U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights issues.

Robert Park was released by North Korea in 2010 without any apparent U.S. intervention. The Christian missionary crossed into North Korea from China, carrying a letter asking Kim Jong Il to free political prisoners and resign. North Korea's state-run news agency said Park was released after an "admission and sincere repentance of his wrongdoings." Here, Park holds a photo of Kim and a malnourished child during a protest in Seoul.

Josh Fattal, center, Sarah Shourd, left, and Shane Bauer were detained by Iran while hiking near the Iraq-Iran border in July 2009. Iran charged them with illegal entry and espionage. Shourd was released on bail for medical reasons in September 2010; she never returned to face her charges. Bauer and Fattal were convicted in August 2011, but the next month they were released on bail and had their sentences commuted.

Haleh Esfandiari, an Iranian-American scholar, was detained at Iran's Evin Prison, spending months in solitary confinement before Iran released her on bail in August 2007. Esfandiari was visiting her ailing mother in Tehran when she was arrested and charged with harming Iran's national security.

Sixteen Americans were among the dozens arrested in December 2011 when Egypt raided the offices of 10 nongovernmental organizations that it said received illegal foreign financing and were operating without a public license. Many of the employees posted bail and left the country after a travel ban was lifted a few months later. Robert Becker, right, chose to stay and stand trial.

Filmmaker Timothy Tracy was arrested in Venezuela in April 2013 on allegations of funding opponents of newly elected President Nicolas Maduro, successor to the late Hugo Chavez. Tracy went to Venezuela to make a documentary about the political division gripping the country. He was released in June 2013.

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Over the five years, the captive was transferred back and forth between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Taliban commander said.

Citing an American official, The New York Times reported that Bergdahl told medical staff that the box he was kept in for weeks at a time was pitch black and like a shark cage.

CNN has reported that Bergdahl has said he was kept in a small box after trying to escape, according to a senior U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of not being identified.

A Defense Department psychologist notes that historically, those held by "less organized groups" -- such as those holding Bergdahl -- "have harsher treatment" than those held by representatives of governments recognized by the world.

The wait

In the half-decade that he was gone, Bergdahl's parents held rallies, maintained a website and lobbied congressmen.

The elder Bergdahl grew a long beard, immersed himself in books about Afghanistan and its Pashto language, to speak to his son's captors if only from afar.

The Rocky Mountain town of Hailey is just minutes from the renowned tourist destination of Sun Valley, famed for its skiing. Yellow balloons and American flags line the sidewalks of Hailey. And residents planted one tree for each of the five years Bergdahl was held captive in Afghanistan.

"There were times where we wondered, but (parents) Jani and Bob Bergdahl never once gave up faith that their son was coming home to them," family friend Stefanie O'Neill said.

The rescue

With Qatar as the broker, the United States struck a deal with the Taliban to free Bergdahl. The price: the release of five Taliban fighters from Guantanamo.

These are photos obtained by WikiLeaks that match the names of the detainees released by the Department of Defense. Their release was in exchange for the release of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl who was being held by the Taliban. The Department of Defense would neither confirm nor deny their accuracy. Khair Ulla Said Wali Khairkhwa was an early member of the Taliban in 1994 and was interior minister during the Taliban's rule. He was arrested in Pakistan and was transferred to Guantanamo in May 2002. During questioning, Khairkhwa denied all knowledge of extremist activities.

Mullah Mohammad Fazl commanded the main force fighting the U.S.-backed Northern Alliance in 2001, and served as chief of army staff under the Taliban regime. Fazl was detained after surrendering to Abdul Rashid Dostam, the leader of Afghanistan's Uzbek community, in November 2001. He was transferred into U.S. custody in December 2001 and was one of the first arrivals at Guantanamo, where he was assessed as having high intelligence value.

Mullah Norullah Noori served as governor of Balkh province in the Taliban regime and played some role in coordinating the fight against the Northern Alliance. Like Fazl, Noori was detained after surrendering to Dostam, the Uzbek leader, in 2001.

Abdul Haq Wasiq was the deputy chief of the Taliban regime's intelligence service. Wasiq claimed, according to an administrative review, that he was arrested while trying to help the United States locate senior Taliban figures. He denied any links to militant groups.

Mohammad Nabi Omari was a minor Taliban official in Khost Province and was the Taliban's chief of communications and helped al Qaeda members escape from Afghanistan to Pakistan. He also said that he had worked with a U.S. operative named Mark to try to track down Taliban leader Mullah Omar.

Guantanamo detainees swapped for Bergdahl

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The Obama administration didn't tell Congress of the releases. Under law, the White House has to give a 30-day notice to Capitol Hill before any terrorists are transferred from Guantanamo.

Believing that his health was deteriorating, the administration said it acted quickly to save his life.

U.S. special operations forces recovered Bergdahl without incident on May 31 at a pickup point in eastern Afghanistan, near the border with Pakistan.

"This is to help a person who has had no control of their own life for years now regain that control step by step," said Army spokeswoman Arwen Consaul.

Traumatizing experiences -- known only to Bergdahl -- may have distorted any sense of normalcy that he might have had, as well as mechanisms he might have used to cope with everyday life.

"They've been in a situation where everybody else has controlled them or something else has taken charge. And they have not been able to choose," the Defense Department psychologist said about long-held captives generally. "Now they're overwhelmed with daily living, and so we kind of start the process of giving them back the ability to predict."

The case for each returnee is different.

"The reintegration of Sgt. Bergdahl is a comprehensive process. There is no set time line for any phase of reintegration. Each phase that Sgt. Bergdahl participates in is a custom event, fitted to his individual circumstances," DiSalvo told reporters Friday.

David Rhode, a former New York Times journalist who was held captive by the Taliban for seven months, said Bergdahl faces a long road ahead.

"Psychologically, there will be a long debrief," said Rhode, who was taken in Afghanistan and held in Pakistan until he managed to escape. "They're actually going to want intelligence (about) who held him."

Army human resources officials will determine where Bergdahl goes after he completes the reintegration process. He'll receive follow-up care and have access to a psychiatrist for the rest of his life.

Bob Bergdahl appears understanding about the delay.

He compared his son's situation to that of a diver going deep on a dive: "If he comes up too fast, it could kill him."

The backlash

What was initially touted as America's commitment to never leaving a man behind, Bergdahl's release has been anything but universally celebrated.

In the partisan frenzy permeating Washington in an election year, lawmakers have accused the White House of overstepping presidential authority without consulting Congress.

Republican critics contend the cost of the deal was too high because it freed hardened terror suspects to possibly rejoin the fight against U.S. interests, especially in return for a soldier accused by some in his unit of deserting his post.

Former soldiers involved in the operations to find Bergdahl asserted to CNN this week that at least six soldiers were killed because of the search for Bergdahl in 2009.

A U.S. official told CNN that Pentagon and Army officials have looked at the claims, and "right now there is no evidence to back that up."

But the damage has been done.

The FBI said it was investigating threats against Bergdahl's parents.

The homecoming

The controversy has forced Hailey to put its homecoming on hold. Town officials say it would be too hard to manage all of the supporters as well as all the protesters who might show up.

"I got a phone call from a person -- well, an attorney at an event organizer in California who didn't want to reveal the group, but wanted to know if they could bring 2,000 people up to protest the event, if they'd be allowed into the event," Police Chief Jeff Gunter told CNN. "So that was definitely a concern. There was also a gentleman in Texas who wanted to bring up a bunch of people to protest the event as well."

The future

Bergdahl is still technically in the Army.

Up for promotion in June, he could return to his unit in Alaska, get reassigned somewhere else or be discharged.

Some members of his platoon want Bergdahl to face military trial for desertion under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Still, even if he deserted, a senior defense official said earlier this month that Bergdahl will not likely face any punishment.